Unexpected Pairings for Lyra 2022: Rethinking Bordeaux Beyond Convention

When people think of Bordeaux red wine, they often imagine classic pairings: roasted lamb, grilled beef, aged cheeses.

But a Merlot-led Bordeaux without oak behaves differently.

That is precisely what makes Lyra 2022 such an interesting wine at the table.

Crafted from 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and aged for 18 months in stainless steel rather than oak barrels, Lyra keeps its fruit vivid and direct. Its nose opens on blackberry, blackcurrant and plum, edged with liquorice. On the palate, ripe black fruit drives the wine forward, supported by firm but integrated tannins and a fine mineral finish.

Without oak influence, the wine retains clarity and movement.

It still has Bordeaux structure, but with fewer woody overlays, it becomes far more versatile with food.

That opens the door to pairings that are surprising, yet entirely logical once tasted.

These are not novelty matches. They work because they meet the wine where it truly lives: in texture, char, spice, depth, and contrast.

1. Seared Tuna with Black Pepper Crust

Why it works:

Raw tuna would be too delicate here. But once seared, tuna changes character: its flesh tightens, becoming firmer, denser, almost meat-like in texture. That shift is essential, because it gives the wine something substantial to interact with.

The black pepper crust plays an equally important role. Pepper acts as a bridge ingredient: it amplifies the spice and liquorice nuances already present in Lyra, pulling them forward without overwhelming the fish.

What makes this pairing so compelling is tension: the wine’s tannins find grip in the seared exterior, while its fruit softens the pepper’s bite.

What seems risky on paper becomes remarkably natural in the mouth.

Recipe:

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 tuna steaks (180–200 g each, sashimi-grade, about 2.5 cm thick)

• 2 tbsp coarsely cracked black pepper

• 1 tsp flaky sea salt

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Optional: a few drops light soy sauce for serving

Preparation

• Pat the tuna dry and coat all sides evenly with cracked black pepper and sea salt.

• Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet until just smoking.

• Sear tuna for 45 seconds to 1 minute per side for medium-rare, or 90 seconds per side for a more cooked center.

• Transfer to a board and let rest 2 minutes.

• Slice thickly with a sharp knife and serve immediately, optionally with a few drops of soy sauce.

2. Shakshouka

Why it works:

Egg dishes are rarely considered with structured reds, largely because eggs can flatten wine and make tannins seem harsh. But shakshouka escapes that trap because it is not built around eggs alone.

The foundation is the sauce: tomatoes slowly cooked with olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika and pepper until they become dense, concentrated, and sweet-edged. That concentration gives the dish enough body to support a red wine.

The eggs soften the sauce, creating a creamy counterpoint that rounds the wine’s tannins. Meanwhile, the spices create aromatic continuity with Lyra’s dark fruit and liquorice profile.

This pairing works not because the eggs carry the wine, but because the sauce does.

Recipe:

Ingredients (serves 2–3)

• 4 eggs

• 1 medium onion, finely sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 400 g canned peeled tomatoes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp chili flakes

• Salt and black pepper

Preparation

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.

• Stir in garlic, cumin, paprika and chili flakes; cook 1 minute.

• Add tomatoes, crush lightly with spoon, season with salt and pepper.

• Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until sauce thickens.

• Make four wells, crack in eggs, cover and cook 5–7 minutes until whites are set.

3. Grilled Octopus with Smoked Paprika

Why it works:

Octopus behaves very differently from delicate fish. Once grilled, it develops resistance, chew, and lightly charred edges, all of which give it structural weight.

That char is what makes the pairing possible.

Lyra responds particularly well to grilled notes because char introduces bitterness and smoke, both of which interact beautifully with ripe black fruit. Smoked paprika deepens this effect further, extending the smoky register into each bite.

Rather than contrasting the wine, the paprika creates aromatic overlap, and that overlap is what makes the pairing feel seamless.

The octopus remains delicate in flavor, but never fragile in presence.

Recipe:

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 500 g cooked octopus tentacles

• 1½ tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp chopped parsley (optional)

Preparation

• Pat octopus tentacles dry thoroughly with paper towel to ensure proper charring.

• In a bowl, coat with olive oil, smoked paprika and sea salt, rubbing seasoning evenly over the surface.

• Heat a grill pan or barbecue until very hot.

• Grill octopus for 2–3 minutes per side, until edges blister and char lightly.

• Rest 1 minute, slice into thick pieces, and finish with parsley before serving.

4. Dark Chocolate Mousse with Olive Oil and Sea Salt

Why it works

Most desserts fail with red wine because sugar overwhelms fruit and makes tannins taste dry or bitter.

This dessert succeeds because it avoids that trap entirely.

Dark chocolate mousse built on high-cocoa chocolate brings bitterness instead of sweetness. That bitterness resonates with the darker spectrum of Lyra’s fruit: blackberry, blackcurrant, plum, without masking them.

Olive oil contributes silkiness and width, broadening the mousse across the palate. Sea salt sharpens contours, making both wine and dessert taste more precise.

This is not a sweet pairing. It is a structural pairing, built on bitterness, fat, and definition.

Recipe

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 200 g dark chocolate (70–80%)

• 3 eggs, separated

• 25 g unsalted butter

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (+ extra to finish)

• Fleur de sel

Preparation

• Break chocolate into pieces and melt gently with butter over bain-marie.

• Remove from heat and whisk in egg yolks one by one until glossy.

• Stir in olive oil.

• Whisk egg whites to soft peaks in a clean bowl.

• Fold egg whites gently into chocolate mixture in three additions.

• Spoon into ramekins and chill at least 6 hours.

• Before serving, drizzle lightly with olive oil and finish with fleur de sel.

5. Roasted Peach with Black Pepper

Why it works:

Fresh peach would be too fragile. Roasting transforms it.

Heat concentrates sugars, reduces water, and deepens the fruit into something warmer, darker, and more grounded. The peach becomes less floral and more substantial, closer in weight to wine fruit than fresh fruit.

Black pepper changes the balance entirely. It restrains sweetness and introduces aromatic tension, preventing the dish from slipping into softness.

That tension is what allows the wine to stay precise.

Instead of becoming a dessert that dominates the wine, it becomes a dessert the wine can move through cleanly.

Recipe:

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 ripe peaches, halved and pitted

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• Optional: a few thyme leaves

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 190°C.

• Arrange peaches cut-side up in baking dish.

• Drizzle with olive oil evenly over each half.

• Roast for 18–20 minutes until caramelized at edges and tender inside.

• Remove from oven, sprinkle with cracked black pepper and thyme, and serve warm.

6. Moroccan Beef Tajine

Why it works:

Beef tajine creates one of the most fascinating environments for Lyra because it combines three difficult elements at once: slow-cooked meat, warm spices, and sweetness.

Normally, sweetness in savory dishes can flatten red wine. But here, it is restrained: just enough dried fruit to create contrast, never enough to dominate.

The slow-cooked meat provides density. The sauce, enriched by rendered fat, carries spice through the palate. Cinnamon, cumin, coriander and saffron create aromatic layers that unfold gradually.

Lyra works here because it has enough fruit concentration to stand beside sweetness, and enough tannic structure to keep the pairing anchored.

The wine never disappears into the sauce, nor does it overpower it.

Recipe:

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 800 g beef chuck, cubed into 4 cm pieces

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 100 g dried apricots or prunes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp coriander

• 500 ml beef stock

• Salt and pepper

Preparation

• Heat olive oil in a heavy casserole or tajine base over medium-high heat.

• Brown beef in batches until well colored; remove and reserve.

• Add onion and cook 5 minutes until softened.

• Return beef to pot, add spices, salt and pepper, stir well.

• Add dried fruit and pour in stock.

• Cover and simmer on low heat for 2 to 2½ hours, stirring occasionally, until meat is fork-tender and sauce thickened.

7. Duck Gyozas

Why it works:

Duck brings fat, and fat is one of the best allies of tannin.

As the duck cooks, its rendered richness creates a coating texture that softens the wine’s structural edges. Meanwhile, the crisp wrapper introduces contrast and bite, preventing the pairing from becoming heavy.

Soy-based seasoning brings umami, which deepens the wine’s fruit perception and extends the finish.

This pairing is less about contrast than resonance: richness meets tannin, soy meets fruit.

Recipe:

Ingredients (makes 20 gyozas)

• 250 g duck mince

• 20 gyoza wrappers

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp grated ginger

• 2 spring onions, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 3 tbsp water for steaming

Preparation

• Combine duck mince, soy sauce, ginger and spring onion in a bowl.

• Place 1 tsp filling in center of each wrapper and fold closed, sealing edges with water.

• Heat sesame oil in non-stick skillet over medium heat.

• Arrange gyozas flat-side down and fry until golden underneath (about 2 minutes).

• Add water, cover immediately, and steam for 3 minutes.

• Remove lid and cook 1 more minute until crisp again.

8. Grilled Monkfish with Xawaash Spices

Why it works:

Monkfish is uniquely suited to red wine because its flesh behaves almost like meat: dense, muscular, and substantial.

That density gives Lyra something rare in fish pairings: resistance.

Xawaash adds aromatic warmth rather than heat. Cardamom, cumin, cinnamon and pepper build complexity without obscuring the fish. These spices mirror the wine’s own layered profile, especially its liquorice and dark fruit notes.

The grill adds char. The spices add conversation.

Together, they make the pairing feel inevitable.

Recipe:

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 400 g monkfish medallions

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp xawaash spice blend

• ½ tsp sea salt

Preparation

• Pat monkfish dry and coat evenly with olive oil.

• Rub with xawaash spice blend and salt on all sides.

• Heat grill pan until hot.

• Grill monkfish for 3–4 minutes per side until lightly charred outside and just opaque inside.

• Rest 2 minutes before serving.

9. Mushroom Tacos with Chipotle

Why it works:

Mushrooms create depth through umami rather than protein.

When sautéed until browned, they develop concentrated savory notes that mimic the mouthfeel satisfaction usually associated with meat. That makes them unexpectedly effective with structured red wine.

Chipotle adds smoke and restrained heat, both of which reinforce Lyra’s darker fruit profile. Corn tortillas bring softness and warmth, preventing the pairing from becoming too intense.

This is one of the clearest examples of how texture defines compatibility with red wine.

Recipe:

Ingredients (serves 4 tacos)

• 300 g mixed mushrooms, sliced

• 1 tbsp chipotle paste

• 4 corn tortillas

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt to taste

Preparation

• Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.

• Add onion and cook 2 minutes until softened.

• Add mushrooms and cook 6–8 minutes until deeply browned and reduced.

• Stir in chipotle paste and cook 1 minute more.

• Warm tortillas in dry pan or directly over flame.

• Fill tortillas with mushroom mixture and serve immediately.

These pairings reveal something important about Bordeaux: when oak steps back, possibility expands.

And wines like Lyra begin to show just how far Bordeaux can travel beyond tradition.